When you kinda forget that you had a blog and 5 years go by...

So, as suggested in the title of this post, I forgot I had started this blog. Which, I assume is due to the degenerative condition of aging and memory loss, but could also be that I have been very busy and let this drop by the wayside. I would like to say hello to anyone reading and thank you for taking the time to see what is going on with me and my family.

I can say that there have been many blessing and big events in our lives since I last posted, but it is also very sweet and nostalgic to look back on the old posts and see the good times we shared as a family. It is hard, divorce, but it is also possible to make the best of the time you have together, strengthen your relationships and then have the opportunity to look back 5 years later and possess good memories of that time. My kids do and I am grateful for that.

So, here are some updates...

Remarried 2 years ago and her name is Liselotte. She is originally from Sweden, but has lived in the US for many years and works for Southwest Airlines. We met online and knew we found something special and the companionship that we both needed and had hoped for.

We made that leap of faith and even though she did not work in Boise and we had to commute for a year, she was able to secure a transfer here (Boise Airport). We bought a nice home that we got to design and have been so grateful for how the Lord has blessed our lives and the lives of our children.

Liselotte has 4; mostly grown and out of the house, but they are close and they are all doing very well. One is engaged and another going to school in Sweden while the two oldest have families and are doing great.

Colton went to a music academy in Boulder CO and is doing his 'rap' thing, but I am proud of his hard work, taking care of himself and his good attitude. He met a nice girl who is learning about the church (LDS) and they are a lot of fun together.

Ellie is full-on teengager in the sense of taking extra time in the bathroom for makeup and hair. She is working on reducing that time... She is a great young lady. She works hard in school, goes to seminary, does some part-time work and is learning how to budget her money. She has good friends and is a sweet and caring person. And... she got a puppy. His name is Ollie and he is a small Yorkie. He has taken over our lives and has worked his way into all our hearts.

I enjoy my job at an all male boarding school called Novitas. The boys grow on you and I do feel that there is value in what I do.

That is all for now, but I hope to come back and update this again someday. Thanks for your time and best wishes from my family to you and yours.

Ollie

Liselotte's Kids (most) - John, Jakob, Simone, Kiana

Another Summer Ends; Another Schoolyear begins

It has been a great summer in Boise, but, alas, all good things must come to an end. The kids and I look forward to a great school year ahead as I look to move back to Idaho Falls to be closer to Colton and Ellie. We have enjoyed Boise very much, but are blessed that I have a job that allows me the freedom to relocate and be near the kids. Here are some pictures of places we have gone towards the end of summer 2013 - Boise style.

Ada County Fair 2013

Discovery Center

 River Walk - Boise

California Dreaming

Family is a great thing and staying close to your cousins when young is a blessing.  Colton and Ellie had the chance to fly to Phoenix and stay with their Grandma, Aunt Denise, and cousins Jordin, Hannah and Hayden.   They did not have a chance to visit their other cousins this go around, but will definitely do so next time. Denise and her family treated the kids to a wonderful beach vacation in the Laguana area - a place where Unlce Phil has gone many times and wanted the gang to enjoy a beach where you could still have a bonfire.  I'm not sure if they actually built a bonfire, but at least they had the option...

I appreciate them for doing this for the kids and was thrilled that Colton and Ellie had the chance to reconnect with their cousins.  By all accounts, they had a blast spending time on the beach, golfing, seeing fireworks amongst many other 'vacationy' things.

Arriving in Phoenix & Hannah's Birthday

Fourth of July 2013

 Golfing and oldest theater in country

 The beach (Aunt Denise, Ellie, Colton and Hayden)

Thanks Stecker family for the trip!!!

Hot Town, Summer in the City...

Well, coming from Phoenix, I am not sure that Boise qualifies for a 'hot' city but having only lived in Southeast Idaho, Boise is warmer. More importantly, summer arrived on time and with great weather. The kids and I have spent most of our weekends out and about. Here are some pictures of our favorites so far:

The Boise Aquarium

Warhawks Air Museum

Boise Zoo

The Big Scissors Event

Who knew that a Ribbon Cutting was actually accompanied by a giant pair of scissors?  This being my first time; I was not sure what to expect, but it was a fun and supportive ceremony.  The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is a very professional and personable organization.  I would recommend to anyone that your first marketing dollars be directed towards your local chamber of commerce.  The contacts and supporting structure are well work the annual fee; at least, that has been my experience here in Boise.  Thank you to the ambassadors who came out in force to support the opening of the Idaho HANE Solutions office (and for listening to my speech with a reference to "The Shining" and all).

Boise HANE Solutions Office - Ribbon Cutting

Business has been progressing nicely at our Boise office with the staff (me) in good morale.  Our 'official' ribbon cutting hosted by the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce is being held on Tuesday, May 14th at 5:00 PM.  We will have catering, door prizes and no speeches!  We welcome anyone interested to attend at 6126 W State Street, Boise, ID 83703 in the upstairs reception room.

Thus far, we have signed several schools up for our SchoolDex school management system and are in the process of adding some excellent features.  As a former principal, I have been able to implement some key features that I feel will add value to our customers.  Some of those include:

• Automated enrollment and lottery process for charter schools
• ADA on the startup screen
• Student growth data for administration, teachers and parents
• Common Core standards into our gradebook, lesson plans and report cards

Some of the features are already up and running with the remaining in production.

We have also made inroads with local businesses to discuss the benefits of custom application development for their enterprises.

An Early Birthday for Ellie with Grandma Marci 2013

My mom is a very special woman. She does so much (you can argue too much) for her family. Her grandkids adore her and bask in the spirit of home and comfort that she brings with her. She spent several months in Idaho with us even though she abhors the cold. We are all very grateful for the sacrifice and service she rendered to us. May the Lord bless you always Grandma Jojo (Ellie's name for her).